Germany, There and Back Again: FRA and the Flight Home

For other parts of this journey please click below!
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - LAX to FRA
Part 3 - FRA to MUC
Part 4 - BMW Welt and Delivery
Part 5 - First drive and Linderhof Palace
Part 6 - Füssen, Ulm, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Part 7- Speyer Museum and Heidelberg
Part 8 - FRA and the Flight Home

Part 8

We woke up in the morning and bid farewell after a fun drive across the bridge. Frankfurt isn't too far away from Heidelberg but we had to make sure we had enough time for a car wash and the paperwork.

Autobahn to Frankfurt

In a rather industrial looking part of town we found the car wash that the BMW Welt workers recommended to us. The car wash seemed to be run by non-Germans and we were a little lost on how it all worked. Just like the gas stations, you get your car washed first and then you pay. I don't think I need to explain how that won't ever work in the US.

All clean!

After that we drove down the street to where our drop off point was. The car will be shipped back to the US on BMW's dime. We took out our German first aid kit, triangles, safety vests, and the manual. Only one key was required for drop off. That makes me wonder what happens if they happen to lose the one key. The drop off people were really nice and efficient. They even called a cab for us to get to FRA. With one last look at our car in the gloomy parking lot we sped off in a Mercedes Benz taxi.

FRA airport, like most European airports seem very chaotic to me. It didn't help that we were leaving at the same time as a bunch of Asian flights full of tourists trying to reclaim some VAT as well. The VAT refund process is one of the most frustrating things about buying things in Europe. Why it has to be a process of forms and inspections I do not understand. It involves standing in long lines and often times you aren't even sure if you are in the right line. For example, one of the items I purchased had a slightly different refund process. That required me to bring it past security to get the refund for. But the other item was able to be refunded before security. I don't get it. 

Smiling will need some work.

The Lufthansa World Shop is pretty cool because you can get exclusive custom Rimowa suitcases there. Since you're in Germany they are also a fraction of the price that you would pay in the US! And yes you can reclaim your VAT if you are feeling a little masochistic.

There were some seats available in Premium Economy so we opted for an upgrade. But this time we would be sitting apart. 

Waiting to board

We had some extra time after some shopping (where we bought copious amounts of Nutella!) to visit the Senator Lounge since I have Star Alliance Gold. The sausages at the Lufthansa lounge are divine. As was the juice drink. We didn't have a lot of time so we went to the gate to board.

Homeward bound!

LH Premium Economy on a 747-8

We had a really routine flight coming back. I had been practicing my German greetings all week. Apparently I was doing so well that the flight attendants thought I actually spoke German! I had to tell them that all I could do was say "Sparkling water please"...haha. But it really brought a smile to their faces when they saw that I would try to speak German. For any world traveler it is the least you can do as a sign of respect.

So what of our prodigal M5? He went on a journey on a ro-ro boat called Dionysos Leader. The journey took him to places like the UK, across the Atlantic, the Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal, San Diego, Long Beach, and finally Port Hueneme. 

Dionysos Leader leaving Port of San Diego

The wait was painful. We stared at our manual. I played with my one car key. We even bought a model of our car to roll around. We commiserated with people on the bimmerfest.com forums. Each day we encouraged each other that patience is a virtue.

Even once your car arrives at port it doesn't go straight to your dealer for pick up. BMW has a Vehicle Preparation Center (VPC) that inspects all vehicles, repairs any necessary damage, and updates any software. After they are cleared for customs then they may be released to a truck that actually brings the car to your dealership. It is a lot like waiting for a relative to clear customs and immigration. 

But that re-delivery day did come! I even took time off work to get to our dealership. Kudos to the Uber driver who drove us through a lot of traffic on a Thursday afternoon. Our car made it back safe and sound. He has since gone through his break in service and soon his first normal oil change. Having driven it for quite some time now I have to say that the competition package is worth every penny. The exhaust system has only gotten louder with every mile. The car is an absolute joy to drive. I do wonder if the M5 remembers his early days in Germany though. 

Rolling in sunny LA